festival
/ˈfɛstəvəl/ · fes·ti·val
noun
- An organized public event or community gathering centered on a particular theme, often featuring performances, food, and activities. The city’s music festival attracted thousands of fans from across the country.
- In mythology, a series of rituals and celebrations held in honor of a deity. The ancient Greeks held a month‑long festival for Dionysus each spring.
- A regional term for a fried cornbread cake, especially in the Southern United States. Grandma served a slice of festival with honey butter at the family reunion.
adjective
- Pertaining to a feast or feast‑day; used attributively to describe something associated with a festival. The town’s festival lights twinkled along the main street.
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Antonyms
Did you know? In the American South, "festival" can refer to a fried cornbread cake, a usage that dates back to early 20th‑century cookbooks and reflects the word’s original connection to feast‑day foods.